U.S. patent application number 10/284374 was filed with the patent office on 2003-07-24 for fluid product dispenser.
This patent application is currently assigned to VALOIS SAS. Invention is credited to Garcia, Firmin, Ligny, Jean-Jacques, Philippe, Levillain.
Application Number | 20030136801 10/284374 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27248829 |
Filed Date | 2003-07-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030136801 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Garcia, Firmin ; et
al. |
July 24, 2003 |
Fluid product dispenser
Abstract
A fluid product dispenser comprises a container (1) forming an
opening (10), a dispensing device (2) fitted in the opening (10),
an actuation device (3) to actuate the dispensing device. It also
comprises a substance detectable by irradiation or in the presence
of a suitable reagent, said substance being applied, deposited or
incorporated on or in at least one constituent part of the
dispenser.
Inventors: |
Garcia, Firmin; (Evreux,
FR) ; Ligny, Jean-Jacques; (Evreux, FR) ;
Philippe, Levillain; (Neubourg, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20037-3213
US
|
Assignee: |
VALOIS SAS
|
Family ID: |
27248829 |
Appl. No.: |
10/284374 |
Filed: |
October 31, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60342361 |
Dec 27, 2001 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/321.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B 11/3042 20130101;
B65D 83/75 20130101; B65D 2203/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/321.7 |
International
Class: |
B65D 088/54 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 31, 2001 |
FR |
01 / 14200 |
Claims
What is claims is:
1. Fluid product dispenser comprising the following constituent
parts: a container (1) forming an opening (10), a dispensing device
(2) fitted in the opening (10), an actuation device (3) to actuate
the dispensing device, characterised in that it also comprises a
substance detectable by irradiation or in the presence of a
suitable reagent, said substance being applied, deposited or
incorporated on or in at least one constituent part of the
dispenser.
2. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the detectable substance
is invisible in the ambient atmosphere in visible light.
3. Dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the detectable substance
is an invisible ink capable of being detected when subjected to a
given electromagnetic wave.
4. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the detectable substance
is detected when subjected to a heat source.
5. Dispenser according to claim 1, comprising at least one metal
constituent part (4, 32, 13) treated by anodic oxidation or
anodisation to dye it with a dye, said detectable substance being
added to the dye.
6. Dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said anodised part is a
metal attachment cap (4) used to attach the dispensing device (2)
in the opening (10) of the container (1).
7. Dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said anodised part is a
metal coating of a pushing device (32), plastic attachment ring or
container (13).
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of pending U.S. provisional patent application Serial
No. 60/342,361, filed Dec. 27, 2001, and priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(a)-(d) of French patent application No. FR-01.14200,
filed Oct. 31, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a fluid product dispenser
comprising a container forming an opening, a dispensing device
fitted in the opening and an actuation device to actuate the
dispensing device. More specifically, the present invention relates
to authentication capability and traceability of the fluid product
dispenser. Indeed, it is important to be able to identify without
any possible doubt the origin of a dispenser in order to be able to
distinguish quickly and easily between an authentic model and an
imitation or counterfeit.
[0003] It has already been known for a long time how to use
distinctive marks or signs affixed or incorporated in the dispenser
so as to be able to identify the origin of the product visually.
However, it is very easy for a counterfeiter to imitate this
distinctive mark or sign and affix it on counterfeit
dispensers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The aim of the present invention is to remedy this drawback
mentioned above of the prior art by defining a new practically
unfalsfiable identification means for a fluid product
dispenser.
[0005] To achieve this aim, the present invention proposes that the
dispenser also comprises a substance detectable by irradiation or
in the presence of a suitable reagent, said substance being
applied, deposited or incorporated on or in at least one
constituent part of the dispenser. The irradiation may be
electromagnetical, thermal, etc. Advantageously, the detectable
substance is invisible in the ambient atmosphere in visible light.
In this way, the dispenser according to the invention does not
visibly show any identifying sign or mark that a counterfeiter
could notice directly and subsequently reproduce to produce
counterfeit dispensers. Under normal conditions of use, i.e. in air
at atmospheric pressure and in visible light, the dispenser cannot
be identified which gives potential counterfeiters the impression
that the dispenser can be copied easily, which is not at all the
case due to the invisible substance that it comprises or
incorporates but which is only detectable under specific conditions
only known to the genuine dispenser manufacturer.
[0006] According to an example of an embodiment, the detectable
substance is an invisible ink capable of being detected when
subjected to a given electromagnetic wave. An example of such an
ink is known as "UV ink", which is only detected when a UV wave
emission is applied to the ink. Naturally, there are other
substances of this type known in the prior art.
[0007] According to another example, the detectable substance may
be detected when subjected to a heat source.
[0008] According to an advantageous embodiment, the dispenser
comprises at least one metal constituent part treated by anodic
oxidation or anodisation to dye it with a dye, said detectable
substance being added to the dye. Indeed, the anodic oxidation or
anodisation technique is a frequently used technique in the
manufacture of fluid product dispensers to dye certain metal
constituent parts. Advantageously, said anodised part is a metal
attachment cap used to secure the dispensing device in the
container opening. In an alternative embodiment or additionally,
said anodised part is a metal pushing device, plastic attachment
ring or container coating. More generally, the detectable substance
may be added to the dye intended for any part, accessory or
component of the fluid product dispenser.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention will now be described in more detail with
reference to the single FIGURE which gives an embodiment of the
invention as a non-restrictive example. The single FIGURE is a
vertical transverse section through a fluid product dispenser
according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] The fluid product dispenser represented in the single FIGURE
is a very conventional dispenser comprising a container 1 equipped
with a neck 11 forming an opening 10. Optionally, the body of the
container may be equipped with a metal coating 13. The dispenser
also comprises a dispensing device 2 which may be a pump or a valve
comprising a body 21, an actuating rod 22 and a pushing device 3
fitted on the actuating rod 22. In the case of a pump, the body 21
may be equipped with a plunger tube 24 which extends in the
container 1 to its base. The pushing device 3 may for example be
formed from a plastic body 31 coated on the outside with a metal
cover 32.
[0011] The dispensing device 2 may be directly attached inside the
neck 11, but preferentially, the dispensing device 21 is attached
in the opening 10 of the neck 11 by means of an attachment device 4
which comprises reception means 41 intended to receive a radial
ring 23 formed by the body 21 of the dispensing device 2 and which
also comprises attachment means 42 on the neck 11 of the container.
If required, a neck seal 5 may be inserted between the neck and the
attachment device.
[0012] In the single FIGURE, this attachment device comes in the
form of a metal attachment cap which holds the dispensing device 2
in place by crimping and which is also attached to the neck 11 by
crimping. As an alternative, the metal attachment cap may be
replaced by a plastic attachment ring with a metal coating. The
plastic attachment ring also comprises reception means 41 and
attachment means 42 on the neck 11 of the container.
[0013] This is a very conventional design for a fluid product
dispenser in the field of perfumes, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals.
To actuate the dispenser, it is simply necessary to press on the
pushing device 3 so as to insert the actuating rod 22 in the body
21 of the dispensing device 2. In response to this pressure, fluid
product is dispensed at the outlet 33, in this case produced in the
pushing device 3.
[0014] According to the invention, a substance detectable by
irradiation or in the presence of a suitable reagent is applied,
deposited or incorporated on or in at least one of the
above-mentioned constituent parts of the dispenser. Preferentially,
the detectable substance is applied onto a constituent part visible
from the outside of the dispenser, i.e. not an internal part such
as the body 21 or the plunger tube 24 if the container is not
transparent. The detectable substance may for example by applied
onto the reservoir, attachment cap or attachment ring, actuating
rod 22 or the pushing device 3. The detectable substance may for
example come in the form of an invisible ink capable of being
detected when subjected to a given electromagnetic wave, for
example ultraviolet. The detectable substance may also be detected
in the presence of a suitable reagent, which may be a liquid, a gas
or a solid. For example, it is possible to envisage that the
detectable substance will react when placed in a confinement
governed by an atmosphere filled with a suitable reagent gas.
Another possible way to make the detectable substance react is to
spray it or coat it with a suitable liquid reagent.
[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention,
the detectable substance may be added to a dye used to dye certain
metal constituent parts of the dispenser treated by anodic
oxidation or anodisation. This dyeing technique is well known and
widely used in the manufacture of fluid product dispensers. This
technique essentially comprises three steps: a first step consists
of corroding the surface of the metal constituent part, frequently
made of aluminium, chemically or electro-chemically, by immersing
it in a bath. This induces the creation of pores, i.e. cavities, on
the surface of the metal. A second step consists of immersing the
corroded metal parts into a bath of dye which partially fills the
pores. The present invention is then used with the addition of the
detectable substance to the dye. The dye with its addition of
detectable substance fills the pores such that the detectable
substance penetrates inside the pores with the dye. The third
so-called sealing step consists of immersing the dyed part into a
bath which acts chemically or electro-chemically to partially seal
the pores and thus trap the dye mixed with the detectable
substance.
[0016] In this way, it is possible to treat the metal attachment
cap 4, the coating 32 of the pushing device 3, the coating 13 of
the container 1 or the container 1 itself when produced from metal,
the metal coating of the plastic attachment ring when such a ring
is used to attach the dispensing device in the neck 11. More
generally, the addition of a detectable substance in the
anodisation technique may be used for any part, accessory,
component or device incorporated, linked, attached or affixed on
the dispenser.
[0017] The detectable substance may also be detected in presence of
heat.
[0018] By means of the invention, the dispenser is identified in an
unfalsiable manner given that it comprises no visible signs to
recognise the identifier.
* * * * *